The Kid

Because our lives are so boring and rarely is there ever excitement, I have to share you a couple of stories:

Rest assured, there are always stories up in this Struggle Bus!

Yesterday, Kaydon and Braxton took some time to go "register the yellow car after Dave looked at it."

Around lunchtime, I got a text from Braxton:
"The kid locked the keys in the car and the car is running."

Insert me rolling my eyes for the 12389234857 time since becoming a mother.

"Where are you?"

"Farmington."
"WHY??"

"Kaydon wanted to do some shopping."

"You guys are supposed to be getting the banana car fixed and registered, Yo!"

"I know, Ma."

And now I roll my eyes for the 12389234858th time.

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry, Ma! There is a police officer here to help!"

"Uh, to help you get into an unregistered car that is not insured and you two are basically truant."

"Yeah! Cool, huh??"

12389234859th eye roll.

The car is being "fixed" tomorrow.

Then registered tomorrow.

Then insured tomorrow.

I hope.

By the way, I knew a girl growing up that would cross her eyes and roll her eyes and they got stuck and she had to have surgery to unstick them.

So, probably don't roll your eyes as often as I do!

Boy Mom am I.

Three Out of Four & Them Babes

Kaydon got his driver's license on Monday.

Three out of four of my boys are drivers.

Kaydon is, quite honestly, the scariest of my drivers.

I avoid driving with him at ALL COST. 

He is pretty terrible.

But, he can now get himself to and from work which is a saving grace to both Braxton and Mama.

Sunday, at the ordination, these babies were a hoot!

They always are, actually.

I gave Asher a little Hot Wheels car.

Apparently, he didn't want ANYONE to take it away from him.

No one!

At all.

Gosh, I love these babes!

Colton and I went over Saturday to watch them.

Any chance I get to watch them, I totally take it.

I cannot get enough of them!

Braxton came over right before bath time, which was SO helpful!

Neither one of the babes was wanting bath time, which is pretty unusual.

Braxton was the fun cousin for a minute so that I could get everything ready for bed time.

Their smiles, though.

Missionary Moment - Chile Vina Del Mar Mission (Calera) Week 1

Buenos dias mi familia y amigos. I hope everything is running smoothly! This last week has been super busy!

I arrived in Chile on monday at around 6 in the morning which I think is like 3 in the morning for utah so needless to say I was dying. Then we basically just had meetings all day which was terrible especially after 24 hours of no sleep. We meetings after meetings for both monday and tuesday all day long and I didn´t even meet my trainer until wednesday.

My trainer is so so awesome. He was a former zone leader and is about 21 months into his mission. His name is Elder Rubio and he´s actually from Chile so his spanish is so friggin fast. But it helps me understand that this isn´t easy. Speaking of spanish this is really hard for me to write because I have been talking in spanish for like 8 days straight no english. I kind of forgot what it was like!

I love it here. We´re in an area called Calera, I think it´s north but I´m not sure. I can´t tell because the mountains here are wimpy compared to utahs. Its super hot here like 80 or so and its pretty much heaven lol.

I probably wont have time to have conversations with everybody or respond to a whole lot but I will try. By the way start sending packages! The address is  4 Norte 1112
Casilla 631
Viña del Mar
Valparaiso
Chile 

I love you guys and keep sending emails. My p day is monday every week just so you guys know!

Con mucho amor,

--

Elder Jackson N. Jorgensen

Sunday Snapshot

Yesterday was a pretty great day to have a pretty great day!

Braxton ordained Colton a Priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Kaydon was set apart as the First Assistant to the Bishop.

Our loved ones were there, except for Jackson and Grandma.

Oh, how I love these boys of mine!

I look at these boys in wonder and in awe.

I know that this is not my doing!
I know that Heavenly Father's hand has been in every little detail of these boys.

I am so honored to be their mama.

Sunday night, Kaydon got 14 more merit badges.

He has two more merit badges to go and then his Eagle project.

I am proud of him and his determination to get this award.

He was also presented with his Life last night.

He loves every minutes of it!

And... I did spy with my little eye this plaque with my boy on it in the hallway next to the Bishop's Office.

It made me smile and cry all at one time.

I miss him more than words.

I am so proud of him!

HeidiOLOGY

So, technically HeidiOLOGY means "The Study of Heidi." 

Can you imagine if there were such a course??

Oh, the text books that would be required for that one!

The PowerPoint presentations I could make...

The workbooks (which would quite naturally be coloring books)...

The oral reports...

The extra credit that would be available...

The mental health physicians that would get extra work just because of this course...

Oh what fun that would be!!

But, seriously.

This HeidiOLOGY is all about my new skin care.

I love it.

A lot.

Colton is RAD

Look at this cool little reward!

Colton texted me and told me that since he did so good getting his grades up, he gets Texas Roadhouse for lunch at school!

I am so proud of this sweet boy. 

He is just the most rad!

Missionary Moment - Chile Vina Del Mar Mission Arrival

Dear Jorgensen Family,

We are very glad to let you know that we have received your son, Élder Jorgensen in our beloved mission. He has come to be part of an extraordinary group of missionaries. We are very excited to have him here and for the edifying experiences that he will have as he invites people to come unto Christ. We know that He has come to be an instrument of the Lord as he helps convert souls, but the most converted soul will be himself.

                This past June our beloved President Russell M. Nelson asked the youth, “Are you willing to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel?” Thank you for making it possible for your child to form part of this Battalion. We also want to invite you to read the section Doctrine and Covenants 31, and specifically the third verse – “Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.”

                It is our hope that you enjoy together as a family the mission of Élder Jorgensen. Next Monday he will write you personally. We would also like to share with you some photos of his arrival.

                With lots of love,

                                President and Sister Romeu

Countdown

I have not heard from anyone in Chile yet.

I may or may not have emailed quite a few people about my unhappiness with this.

I also may or may not have said, "I have a passport and I know how to use it."

I am NOT an ideal missionary mom.

FYI.

Knowing is half the battle.

I just want to know that my boy made it to Chile and he is good and safe and happy and healthy.

Poor Elder Watson (from the Mexico City MTC). 

He is so good to me! He told me he would be calling the mission home.

T bought me this countdown chart when Jackson left.

It's in my office with a picture of his district from the MTC.

Two columns have been completed.

There are a lot more to go, but two completed columns feels good to this mama.

I have no idea when his P Day will be, therefore I have no idea when I might hear from him again.

Stay tuned!
And, maybe send in backup!

Weekend

I love me some long weekends!

I went to the gym each and every day.

Kaydon went with me Monday.

I love when he goes with me.

He is quite the entertainer.

He loves to go in the training room and do handstands and cartwheels and lots of other things that I don't do.

I made protein balls for the week.

I did my FB Lives.

I rested.

I colored.

I watched documentaries.

I watched football. 

Monday, Asher was sick and needed his mama to take him to the doctor.

Auntie to the rescue!

Kaydon, Colton and I went to their house to play and snuggle Anson while Asher and his mama went to the doctor.

Anson is the smiliest little love bug that there ever was.

Asher is not a snuggler.

Unless he's sick.

Then he is all about cuddling!

He is so funny.

Hopefully, he'll be feeling better FAST!

Mission Moment - Week 6

Buenos dias familia y amigos!

It has been probably the best week of my life (sarcasm). Meetings and classes all day every day is the work here. This is my last week here in Mexico, and then I leave to Chile on Monday at 3 pm. My flight is basically 6pm to 6am, so you best know I´ll be taking the longest nap I have ever had in my entire life on that flight. No layovers, and 2 meals. Fun times!

We have had a couple of incidents happen this week inside the district that has been pretty hard for us. I found out that two of our guys were having a VERY hard time and actually wanted to go home really bad. I set up meetings for them this week and now they are going to be serving there full mission to the best of their ability. I hope that the words that I gave them will be enough to keep them on the path. I love my district very much and I only want the best for them.

I also had a talk with Sister Bennett this week (the mtc president´s wife) she decided that it was necessary to tell our district that we were not ready to serve our missions. Needless to say there was a lot of backlash against that and I had to sit down and explain the situation of our district to her. She is very one-sided when it comes to a lot of things I had to say and tell her but as of now we are all on good terms. Who knew district leader would be this hard!

I hope everyone is doing well! I´m doing so well, each and every day is a grind but I know that it will be worth it in the end. I´m grateful for everyone and their emails they send! Keep sending them!

Keep working hard and don´t give up on anything, the end is always better than the beginning.

Mucho amor, 

--

Elder Jackson N. Jorgensen

Early Morning Gym

Before my stroke, I would go to the gym after work.

I would run home from work, change my clothes, quickly say "hello" to my children and then go to the gym for an hour.

Then I'd run home, try to get a late-night dinner together, do my laundry, run errands, help with homework, etc.

It was a lot.

Just before my stroke, I started going to the gym at 5 am.

It was MUCH more quiet.

I feel like it's a more inclusive crowd in the early mornings.

I am able to get onto any machines or have access to weights that I am wanting to use.

People are freaking friendly.

I feel like it's almost like a morning gym family.

PLUS, it gives me my entire night to be with my kids and to get my things done that need to be done.

It's far less stressful and I really focus on my time working out.

I went back to the gym in July after having not been there since my stroke in December.

It took a lot of slow, small, baby steps to get me back to where I wanted to be.

At first, I was doing six or seven different exercises - two sets of 20 reps.

My schedule is:
Day One: Hamstrings and Glutes

Day Two: Cardio, Biceps and Triceps

Day Three: Legs

Day Four: Cardio, Back and Back of Shoulders

Day Five: Cardio, Chest and Shoulders

I do abs about two times a week, just when I feel like it.

I do stretching and yoga everyday after my work out.

I was getting a bit bored with it after the new year.

I needed something different.

So, I started doing four sets of 14, 12, 10, 8. The sets of 12 and 10, I'm going up in weight with each set. The set of 8, I drop back down to the weight I used at 14.

I am very deliberate in my lifting. Slow and steady, always in control.

It has made a big difference, just in a couple of weeks.

I love going to the gym.

It is good for me mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.

I love to listen to my music and zone in to my body.

I love to show my body how grateful I am for it and how proud of it I am.

I love to see other people on their journies, too.

Yes, I have to be VERY careful not to compare myself to other people. Very careful.

But, this morning I saw a mom and daughter come in.

They began their journey of health at the New Year.

I would say the daughter is mid-twenties and the mom is mid-fifties, early sixties.

They would both be defined as "obese" by societies standards.

While I was stretching, they laid out their mats right in front of me.

They both got into a plank position and started doing pull backs, one arm at a time. They then went to their backs and did some chest exercises.

They BOTH more than DOUBLED the weight that I've ever done on either of those exercises.

Those women are STRONG. 

Those women are LEGIT.

I wanted to bow to them, for real.

It reminded me that we are all on our own journey, and that wherever we are on that journey is just where we are supposed to be.

Snow Plowing

This morning, I did a ride along with one of my guys.

It is the second time I have done this.

The last time was right before my stroke, and if I'm being honest, I feel like it might be related. 

This is what I have to say about this activity:

1. People. Chill out. These guys (my guys) have been out since 4 am. My night crew was out all night. It is NOT POSSIBLE to plow every street in a large city at the very same time. It takes a lot of time, in particular when it is still snowing. 

2. Schools, hospitals and MAIN roads are priority.

3. It takes quite a few swipes down the same road to plow it. 

4. When you park your car on the road, it is a problem. It's a hazard. It's a problem.

5. NO, it is not possible to turn the plow blade in front of every single driveway. The blade has to stay at that angle and so you are going to get snow in your driveway. Suggestion: don't shovel it until the plow has been by.

6. Don't yell at these drivers. Don't flip them off. Don't throw large objects at them. Seriously. Be grateful.

7. No one likes shoveling. No one likes dealing with snow. Our guys literally plow their own driveways in. It's not fun for anyone, but they are doing their dang best.

Cheerios on the Table

Carrie dropped the boys off last week to go to her husband's office to get adjusted.

She brought the boys' nighttime snacks with them.

She got to my house at the same time that I got home.

So, I kicked my boots off and went right into baby mode.

I poured Honey Nut Cheerios onto the table.

Asher sat in the chair (well, he tried all of the chairs) like the biggest boy.

Anson did, too, for about 2.9 seconds, then it was straight up onto the table he went...sprawled out on his belly, digging in.

This is pretty much what went on for about 35 minutes until their mommy came back.

My boys were like, "MOM! You would have never let US do that."

I know. 

And what?!

Sunday Snapshot

Look, the first week of our Sunday Snapshots worked out like perfection!

Everyone up, dressed, ready for church.

Mom very responsibly holding a framed picture of the kid who is on vacation for two years.

Exactly as it was supposed to be.

Since then, it's been everything but perfection!

Yesterday:

My selfie for my business.

My 16 1/2 year old after he blessed the Sacrament and came to sit on the bench next to me.

This kid is working WAY too many nights.

This is real life, People!

Missionary Moment - Week 5

I'm so sorry for the late message everyone. The internet here keeps going on and off.

This week has been absolutely crazy! Our new district holds our new zone leaders now which is totally cool with me. Being district leader has taken a lot out of me, working every single day 16 hours a day non stop is pretty tiring. The two that got called are super nice and I'm grateful for their willingness to serve.

I learned a lot of things this week. Mostly about my abilities as a missionary and a human being. I really love this work and everything I'm learning but sometimes it gets so crazy I just have to leave the class for a second to breath. It can be pretty overwhelming but I'm killin it every day. The devotionals have been harder and harder for me to stay awake in. And that's new for me because I usually am pretty good about staying awake.

I'm tired of the food at this point. Rice with corn gets old after 4 weeks. We lost another district on Monday. My really good friend Siausi Nemotolu from Eastmont was in that district and we got to hang out a ton. I know they will be hard workers and serve the Lord with all they have. 

Other than all that I'm really good. Tired but good. Pictures will come soon. 

And don't forget to email me! I love hearing from all of you even if I'm not able to respond to all of you. I love all of you guys, I hope all is well!

Mucho amor, 

Elder Jorgensen

Thursdays

Thursdays are an entirely new normal for me.

I legit check my email box every 3.9 seconds. 

No joke.

I get very little done besides checking my email box every 3.9 seconds to see if my Bubba has emailed me yet.

Last night, Colton and I met with the Bishop.

Bishop asked Colton how he was handling Brother being gone.

Colton said, "It's really jacked me up!!"

Ditto, Buddy. 

Ditto.

Getting There... Or Somewhere

I cannot remember the last time I was THIS sick.

Like, in bed or on the couch unable to move or even keep my eyelids open sick.

Like, hacking up so much crap that blood is spraying and I'm dry-heaving.

Like, someone shoot me. Please.

Thankfully, the boys have not gotten it.

When I got up this morning Braxton asked me where I thought I was going.

To work, I said.

He replied that he was taking me to the doctor.

To work, I went!

D has made loads of chicken soup, which is all I've injested.

Besides Sprite Zero, Gatorade and medicine.

A lot of medicine.

The humidifier has helped a ton.

I think.

I lasted two hours at work yesterday.

I am hoping for a solid four today.

I read somewhere that Utah is the sickest state in the nation right now.

I have no idea how they figure that, but seriously I feel like I have put in my solid effort to keep us at #1!

Sunday Snapshot

This whole Sunday Snapshot isn't going according to plan.

Each Sunday Snapshot is supposed to have the three boys, me and a picture of Elder Jorgensen in all his glory.

So far, we only have one of those.

Mama is sick.

Mama has been sick since last Friday but death hit about Saturday around noon.

It has been bad. Like, real bad.

I showered today, which seems like a HUGE accomplishment.

There is makeup on my face and my hair is clean.

The boys built snow forts while Mama slept the weekend away.

The end.

Missionary Update - Week 4

Buenos tardes! Sorry for the late email everybody! This week as well as today has been pretty hectic.

First, what a week it has been. Classes and meetings everyday, 16 hours a day per usual. I had no sleep the night of new years because mexicans are super loud and they like their explosives! We had a couple really good devotionals and I took a ton of notes in those. We all have just about two more weeks here then we all head out to our individual missions. Wow has time flown by.

There's been a couple of issues considering my district. There have been some times where some guys have really struggled with the obedience and diligence part of the rules here and I am the one that gets the scolding since I'm the leader. I do what I can but sometimes that isn't always enough and that's okay. I know I'm doing my best. An issue I was having with another missionary should be resolved now and he is doing better. He just wasn't getting along with anyone including his companion.

We lost one of our latino districts on monday and that was kind of hard.We were all very close and I'll miss them helping with my spanish when I needed the help the most. We got a new gringo district in our zone however so now we have some people to help out which is good. My district has decided to help out in the kitchen with dishes after every meal and I think that by doing that we are doing a good deed. I love the thought and the action of service.

Other than all of that I have been having a blast. We lose our zone leaders on tuesday and some new ones will be called. They say it might be me and my companion but we'll see. I'm not too sure. And pertaining to all the emails, to Pops, I am indeed getting your emails. They always make me smile so keep em coming! I love you all! And I miss you all! Talk to you soon!

--

Elder Jackson N. Jorgensen